


Gift Giving

by NightmareWolf



Category: Death Note (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Christmas, Cute, Fluff and Humor, L is just gay, M/M, No Angst, matsuda is confused
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:41:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21939883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightmareWolf/pseuds/NightmareWolf
Summary: L is both fascinated and infuriated with Matsuda and his unpredictable nature. It isn't until the man shows up on Christmas that he believes there may be more to his feelings.
Relationships: L/Matsuda Touta
Comments: 6
Kudos: 109





	Gift Giving

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas, hope this is good :)

Being the number one detective in the world definitely had its downfalls.

For instance, when you're smarter than everyone else, you stop viewing people as _people_ and rather as pawns. Well, that's how it was for L, at least. With nobody to match up to his intelligence, combined with his already poor social skills, it seemed hopeless to think he could find a suitable friend—a _best friend_ , no less, or even more hilarious—a lover.

World's greatest detective, L. Lawliet, falling head-over-heels for somebody?

Not a chance. 0%. 

That said, the Kira Task Force seemed to be a step in the right direction for the detective's hopeless social life. It wasn't much—work talk with co-workers was the bare minimum—but it was a _start_.

And he hated it.

He appreciated their willingness to sacrifice their lives if need be; he appreciated their help as teammates. But he couldn't view them as anything beyond that: teammates. None of them struck him as worth his company on an intimate level. As intimate acquaintances could get, anyway.

There was, however, one exception.

Touta Matsuda.

Ironically hilarious, is it not? The one member with arguably the least amount of brain cells among them, and yet _he_ was the one L took an interest in. And it wasn't because he's stupid—L didn't find stupid people fascinating, just annoying. No, what always kept his mind wandering back to Matsuda was his _unpredictability_.

He could never predict Matsuda.

He had a general idea regarding the personality and responses of each individual Task Force member. Sometimes, although rare, he needed to suppress a grin whenever one replied word-for-word the way he predicted they would. Though a bit of an ego boost and a possible kick-starter to a rumor that he was an ESP—"Detective L: Psychic Mind Reader!", sounds like a terrible Saturday morning cartoon—it quickly became boring. After all, if you can predict everybody's responces, what point is there to conversing with people? To becoming friends? If nothing is new—if nothing is a _challenge_ —then it's pointless.

But Matsuda—Matsuda never fell into this phenomenon. Yes, there were times L had a good idea he knew what Matsuda would ask or say, and turned out to be right. But many times, his expectations were flipped on their heads. Every time L _thinks_ he has Matsuda all mastered and figured out, the Japanese man goes and does something to make L rethink his entire perception of the character.

Kind? Yes. Rash? Yes. Emotional? Yes. Unpredictable?

Very much so.

And so, allured by the unpredictable nature of him, L studied Matsuda whenever he could. He did so stealthily, mind you. If Matsuda—or any of the Task Force members, for that matter—found out he had a close eye on him, distrust that L still doubted the Japanese police would flare up again. Honestly, he asked himself, was it worth the risk? Was studying an idiot like Matsuda really worth risking the NPA's involvement in the Kira case?

Yes, it was.

Because L had never been so interested in a person before.

His studies were simple—just keep a close eye on Matsuda during work hours. He wouldn't go as far as to stalk him outside of the workplace, or look up his birth records—for even if he were currently doing the former in the Yagami household, he had no reason to do the same with Matsuda. Light Yagami was possibly Kira; no doubt a suspect. Matsuda was L's personal little lab experiment—did that sound weird? Whatever, L was never concerned with seeming _normal,_ anyway.

He noticed little things, as time went on, about Matsuda that he would never have observed from face value. Little things like how the other rubs the back of his neck when he's flustered, or how he bites his lips while thinking. If he's really contemplating something, L has noticed Matsuda will narrow his eyes and his facial will become more stern. Sometimes he picks at the shirt cuff around his wrist barely visible from under his suit when nervous. When lost in thought or trying to recall something, his gaze will shift directly up and to the right. 

These minor things—while doing very little to aid in his quest to solve Matsuda's unpredictability—were all the more fascinating to him. And this time, L didn't have an answer. He couldn't blame it on being interested in Matsuda's unpredictability, because these things weren't _unpredictable_ or otherwise unexpected. They were just...quirks. Quirks L has seen other people display before, in fact. It made no logical reason for him to be fixated on these small things, especially when they ultimately mean nothing.

He shouldn't be fixated on it to the point he can't focus on the Yagami household footage.

It was unwanted, the thought that entered his mind. It was almost as if another person said it inside his head, as he himself tried so desperately not to listen. To just cast it aside as he does with most people's words. But it didn't matter. He had thought it already, and now it won't leave him:

World's greatest detective, L. Lawliet, falling head-over-heels for somebody?

Perhaps a chance. 1%.

Luckily, L was alone. It was Christmas, after all. But the world's greatest detective doesn't sleep, and neither does he take the holiday's off. He had no reason to, anyhow. He wasn't religious. Watari did celebrate Christmas, yes, but L didn't. Watari always got him a gift regardless. Some cake, as it usually were. And just like last year, this year he was eating said Christmas gift while observing the live feed.

Predictable.

He had sent the Task Force home; gave them the day off to spend with their family and loved ones. No one had come into the make-shit HQ that was the hotel room, and he didn't expect anybody to. It was _Christmas_ , they had better things to do.

Of course, L should learn when a _certain_ individual is involved, he shouldn't be 100% confident in predicting anything.

There was a light, gentle knock on the hotel door. Honestly not expecting it, L flinched. Before any words could escape his mouth (not that they really could behind a mouthful of cake), words echoed behind the door.

"It's Matsui. I'm, uh, coming in."

 _Matsuda_?

As expected (in an unexpected way) Matsuda was the one to open the door. He entered the room, quietly shutting the door behind him. "Wow, really festive in here," he joked light-heartedly, observing the dark, undecorated room. 

L swallowed the cake in his mouth, licking any chocolate frosting off around his lips. "Is there any reason you came, Matsuda?" he bluntly asked, eyes unmoving from the TV screen displaying several rooms of the Yagami house at once.

"Oh! Yeah, uhm..." a pause. L couldn't see it, as he wasn't looking, but he was 99% sure Matsuda was rubbing the back of his neck. "I got you a present."

"I do not celebrate Christmas."

"Oh. Well, I got one for you anyway."

 _It's probably cake,_ L thought with muted annoyance. Then, remembering who it was he was talking to, interest suddenly filled him, along with a sense of hesitation. _No, that would be too predictable. Too predictable for Matsuda, at least. Perhaps it's a book? But, cake would be the most logical gift, or a sweet of some kind...even somebody as illogical as Matsuda would surely have gone with the option._ L lowered his head, mentally cursing himself for overthinking this simple gesture. _Damn you, Matsuda._

"Here." The voice that spoke behind L was quiet and nervous. Swinging his head to look behind the couch, Matsuda stood over him, his hands hovering only mere inches above the back of the couch. In his hands was a medium sized gift box; forest green with red ribbon.

Hesitantly, as if predicting this to be a trap, L reached out with both his hands to take it from Matsuda. His thin fingers grasped the neat bow on the top of the box, smooth as silk—which it probably was—under his fingertips. Matsuda wore his usual dopey smile, full of eager ecstaticism and hunger for approval. He carefully untangled the ribbon, removing the silky lace and discarding it carelessly onto the floor, leaving just the monocolored box. _I wonder..._

He removed the lid.

Despite his use of singular pronouns, Matsuda had actually brought several gifts. A Matryoshka doll, an Okiagari Koboshi doll, and a Kokeshi doll.

 _Dolls_?

L wasn't appalled by the decision by any means. In fact—he was pleasantly surprised with Matsuda's choice in gifts. He wouldn't have expected this from the other.

Of all the hundreds of ideas that ran through his head, dolls were not one of them. Matsuda, once again, remained unsolvable to L.

Did that speak more of L, or of Matsuda?

"So, uh, whaddya think?" Matsuda asked sheepishly, clasping his hands together.

"It's...very interesting, Matsuda," L replied, genuinely not knowing how to respond. "But I must ask, why three dolls?"

"Oh. Well...I dunno." Matsuda sheepishly rubbed his neck. "It's...well, I just felt it might be something you like. Plus, I feel like they're something you could share with a niece or nephew. I'm—I'm assuming even L has family, even if he doesn't talk to them much..." looking embarrassed and a tad frightened, as if he said something wrong, he straightened up. "You like it?"

Almost detached, L responded. "Yes."

_Even L has family, even if he doesn't talk to them much._

His eyes glanced back down to the box, resting his gaze upon the three dolls.

_Three._

_Family._

He smiled.

Though it were unintentional, it was scary how close to the truth Matsuda was. Suddenly, his "yes" felt like a reply to both his speculation and his question. But, of course, Matsuda only took it as the latter.

"Great!" Matsuda relaxed, giggling a bit with a sigh of relief. "Merry Christmas, Ryuzaki. Or Happy Holidays."

"Yes, Merry Christmas." L's vision drifted from the box in his lap to the static imagery displayed on the TV. He wondered—did Matsuda know how crazy he drives L? L knew something as simple as one being unpredictable shouldn't rile him up this much, even for somebody desperate to find another interesting human. Was there something else in Matsuda that had L eyeing him everyday? Thinking about him when he should be focusing?

Was there a reason to any of this?

Maybe he should pull his own unpredictable stunt. The other deserved to know how much trouble he's causing.

"Actually, I have a gift of my own," L mumbled, his speech slurring together enough to take Matsuda a few seconds to register.

"Oh! You do?"

"Yes. You may come closer. That is, please lean forward." 

Confused, but otherwise obeying, Matsuda leaned forward. With him standing and L sitting, he was still taller than L. However, only several inches of distance bridged the gap between them. Matsuda seemed to know this, as his face flushed, but he didn't speak up.

Before better judgement could call L an idiot, he kissed the policeman on the lips.

Soft.

They were soft and warm. Foggy; L's heartbeat felt distant, yet devastating at the same time. It was like a sheet of water, splashing a wave of shock and dizziness on him all at once, and yet it was over in a second.

He pulled away.

He took note of how star-struck the other looked. His mouth slightly agape and his eyes wide and practically twinkling—or that could just be the reflection of the TV's light. What was undeniable was the fierce blush present on his face, and L took pride in being the one who flustered him this much.

But why?

For as smart as he was, he didn't have an answer. And he knew he'd never let himself admit just how much he enjoyed that kiss.

"Merry Christmas, Matsuda-san."

The man, still shocked, blinked several times. It took a few seconds before he closed his jaw, blinking yet again to chase away the awed look in them—as if he had _just_ noticed his own lack of reply in the last minute. "I..."

"I am sorry if that is not what you expected, nor what you wanted," L lied. Sorry for giving him a possible unwanted kiss? Slightly. Sorry for surprising him? Not at all.

"No—" Matsuda spoke, causing L to cock his head to the left. "That's not..."

"What you were going to say?" L finished for him.

Matsuda's expression was unreadable for a few seconds, before reverting back to the flustered, nervous self that he was several minutes earlier. "Can we—can we do that again? I mean, I just..." he couldn't seem to come up with an excuse on the spot.

L grinned.

"I don't see why not."

World's greatest detective, L. Lawliet, falling head-over-heels for somebody?

 _Maybe_. 50%.


End file.
